Father's Day gifts for a backyard dad

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Originally designed for contractors, the new line of DeWALT yard tools turns any dad into a pro when it comes to yard work. (Contributed)

Originally designed for contractors, the new line of DeWALT yard tools turns any dad into a pro when it comes to yard work. (Contributed)

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With a spot for everything from rakes and shovels to golf clubs and hockey bags, having a good storage system for the garage is key to making the most of your space. (Contributed)

With a spot for everything from rakes and shovels to golf clubs and hockey bags, having a good storage system for the garage is key to making the most of your space. (Contributed)

Enough with the plaid shirts, colourful socks or ties for the office; its time to get dad something he really wants this year. As an outdoor expert, I get to try a lot of new technology specifically designed for making the most of our outdoor spaces. This year I tested all of these new technologies with my friends to see which ones were real winners for Father’s Day.

Here is our top five, guaranteed to please any dad who likes to be outside during the summer.

Honeywell’s Outdoor Evaporative Air Cooler

This is truly perfect for any dad who loves sitting in the shade on the deck or patio. The Air Cooler can attach to the garden hose, blowing cool air on you as it evaporates the water. If you’ve been to Vegas or to Palm Springs, then you know the feeling of a cooling mist when its hot outside. The beauty of this product is that the 48L version (mid-size) can cool a patio about 600 sq. feet using the same energy as it would take to power a 150W light bulb. (www.Sears.ca)

Dewalt Yard Tools

Originally designed for contractors, this new line of DeWALT yard tools turns any dad into a pro when it comes to yard work. All of my guy friends agree that the cool factor alone makes this gift perfect. These heavy duty trimmer and blowers in the signature yellow is sure to make dad the envy of the neighbourhood. (www.homedepot.ca)

Koolatron W75 CoolWheel Cooler

No more soggy sandwiches or beers with the labels peeling off because the CoolWheel cooler doesn’t need ice. This is brilliant for dad. This cooler plugs in. Whether in the backyard by the pool or on a camping trip plugged into the car, this cooler keeps your food and drinks at the perfect temperature without any need for running to the corner store to buy more ice. (www.walmart.ca)

Green Strike Mosquito Preventer

While zapping mosquitoes might be satisfying, getting rid of the larvae is significantly more effective! The Preventer tucks into a back corner of the yard and does it’s job by reducing the population by up to 70 per cent. The Preventer creates a perfect breeding ground for female mosquitoes, complete with water and a lure to bring them in. Each female mosquito can lay up to 30,000 eggs and every three days, the Preventer cycles these eggs through a filtre, effectively stopping a whole generation of new mosquito. (www.homehardware.ca)

Gladiator GarageWorks systems

All the dads agree that while this may not be specifically for the outdoors, garage storage is crucial for outdoor enjoyment. Whether an outdoor dad or a sporty dad, every dad will love getting organized in the garage with this system of hanging racks, bamboo work benches and enclosed shelving GearBoxes. With a spot for everything from rakes and shovels to golf clubs and hockey bags, having a good storage system for the garage is key to making the most of your space. Buy dad the first piece and let him customize the rest! It’s a definite win-win! Dad is happy and the garage finally gets cleaned. (www.gladiatorgarageworks.ca)

Think outside the box this year when shopping for your Father’s Day gifts. If the dad in your life is anything like my friends and me, going with an outdoor theme is sure to be a success.

Carson Arthur is an international landscape designer and media personality with a focus on environmentally friendly design and low maintenance outdoor rooms.